Off to a Good Start

 Well, I will run my weeks this year on my blog from Monday through Sunday.  So of course this entry covers a little less time since 2025 didn't start on a Monday.  None the less, I dug right in and got started.  I feel like I worked the most on two of the standards.

LiVe Connected;  This is where I attribute my spiritual growth.  (There are many things that will fit into this category).  This is an area that I don't typically struggle with.  It has always seemed like the foundation of my spiritual progression.  Lately, like many things, I have not done that well.  I was planning to read the book of Mormon twice last year and ended up not getting through it all the way, even once.  I want to get back into the mind-set of doing something every single day. 

 

I have had a good first week with this.  I read from the Come Follow Me Book and included the articles and scriptures listed in the reading assignment from December 30-January 5: The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 I felt so good at the end of each day.  I made sure I read 15 minutes a day and it turned out that the April 2024 conference I had recorded on my streaming device was expiring so I challenged myself to listen to every speaker before they were gone.  I didn't quite make that, but I did get all the Saturday Sessions and one of the Sunday Sessions listened to and it was amazing to me how much of the addresses were so fitting to my start of 2025. Especially about following through, attending the Temple regularly and reading scriptures.  The blessings we can receive are so massive and I definitely want to live my life so that I will receive those blessings.  I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and it made me feel so good to add just a small amount of what I hope to achieve in my life in the next few months. 

LiVe  Healthy:  This is an area I have totally failed out throughout this past year.  There are those around me who say I have not failed but I feel like I have so I need to make a lot of changes.  For many years now, my positivity has come from preparing for and participating in races.  I fooled myself this year into thinking I could do a half marathon without too much preparation.  I had deferred the race from the year before so I had to register or lose my money.  Also, I had been doing a lot of walking the trails here and actually thought by telling my mind that I wouldn't focus on time but just actual finishing, that I would get through it.  The name of the race is the Parowan 1/2 marathon, or by some it is called Yankee Meadow half.  It is here in Parowan and not too far away, but is beautiful  So I picked up my packet as usual.  And I was so excited to finally be participating in a race again.  That excited feeling that you get when you know something big is coming the next day--that is what I had, sort of like waiting for Santa to bring your presents.

I got so excited when I saw the medal.  It is so cute and original.

And the morning came.  So exciting.  Also a little bitter sweet as one thing that has been a stable in pretty much every race I have run, Ambur wasn't there.  She is such a great support to me with the races.  She will go with me and will set in the car the entire time.  She sends me little sayings and does nothing but wish me well.  Today she was not able to come and that is a big void for any race but especially when I am so excited to go through the finish line and have her shake the bell and call out my name.    We got to the top starting point and it was so beautiful.  

Off went the gun and off I went as well.  I was quickly reminded of how little preparation I had done.  It was difficult at best.  I could come up with a thousand excuses why I wasn't able to do so well, but essentially it is just that I didn't prepare.  I hate the feeling of being last.  I was doing well at mile 1, 2, 3 4 and 5.  I was quite pleased.  Mile 6 I slowed immensely then mile 7 suddenly there is someone coming up behind me and it turns out she is the last one.  We talked, as we walked/jogged, but I could tell I was in trouble.  My legs were ok, my knees were ok, but my lungs were not at all ok.  For the first time EVER in my journey of racing,  I had to be pulled off the race.  I just felt that I was going to pass out and I couldn't finish.  Down I went in one of the helpers vehicles.  That meant I couldn't get one of those great medals.  I cried all the way on my drive home feeling low and like I failed.  People say all the right things, but for me, not finishing was failure.

I had a lot of thinking to do.  I studied, prayed and asked for help to pick me up from the negativity that I was allowing to take over my thoughts.  I came to the decision that I was not training or preparing in the right order--I was training for the wrong thing.  I need to get my health into better shape before I can train for the races effectively.

So, I decided to work on my poor eating habits, lack of exercise, along with my walking/jogging.  I have a great plan for the food and decided that I would start walking to my work this week to get my steps in and hoping the combination will result in slow and steady results for the weight loss which is a big component before I can be ready for races again.  So on Thursday I walked the two miles to my work, the weather was so great I walked outside for lunch hour and I walked on my breaks.

I started out walking home and found it to be so very dark, I could hardly see the sidewalk.  It was pretty scary.  I made it and throughout the day I got 16,403 steps.  That felt so good.  But I am going to rethink how I get my steps while it is so dark when I get off work.  

I was also reminding on Saturday morning just how sore the stepping can make me.  I felt I could barely move my legs.  I laughed as I tried to walk down the stairs and felt like I had walked a race.  I am so grateful for a new day to set new goals, learn from what goes well and from what doesn't work so great.  Next week I have a new plan for my stepping and exercising to try out.

I am grateful to be engaged in trying to figure it all out again and my life balance has felt better in just this one week of the new year.  I am so much more positive and feel that things are going to be much better.  I am grateful for the week, for the growth, small as it is and for my Heavenly Father who is by my side steadfastly through every challenge, every goal and who loves me no matter if I have success or failure in my life.  I am also very grateful for my daughter who is always supportive and helpful to me.  We are working on some things together and encouraging the other with the things we do separately.  I am so blessed.